Collar-supporter.



H. H. KLEIN.

BOLLAR SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2,1915.

1,181,673. Patented May 2,1916.

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8 vwe Mom i I 1E I STAES COLLAR-SUPPORTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of New York, inv the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collar-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ladies wire collar-supporters and particularly to the kind that are used in connection with straight collars which are designed to bear against the neck of the wearer. For this type of collars the supporters are required to be flexible and laterally resilient so as to permit free and easy movement of the neck while they maintain the collar erect thereagainst, and the extremities of such supporters are usually provided with cushioning-rings in order to prevent chafing or unpleasant abrading of the wearers skin.

The principal object of my inventionis to provide an eificient, strong, durable, simple, inexpensive, and improved collar supporter.

Another object is to provide a collar supporter having strong, durable, simple, and improved cushioning-rings at its extremities, which rings may be conveniently and inexpensively manufactured, and which will constitute a mechanically rigid structure with the body of the supporter and will serve their purpose efficiently in conducing to the comfort of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation showing the wire before it is twisted to form the body of the collar supporter. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the finished body of the collar supporter. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the lower portion of a mold utilized in the manufacture of the cushioning-rings. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional elevations of the mold showing the position of its parts during the molding operation. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the completed collar supporter. Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cushionring, taken on the line wa' of Fig. 6.

The body of the collar supporter consists Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed January 2, 1915. Serial No. 23.

of a single piece of properly tempered flexible wire 1, which is preferably cloth covered and severed from a reel of indeterminate length of wire. Said piece of wire is bent at two places 2 between the wire extremities 3 to the form shown in Fig. 1, whereby it comprises a central portion 4 terminating in loops at the bent places 2 and having asomewhat shorter portion 5 at each side of the central portion 4 extending from said loops. The three wire portions 4, 5, 5 are then twisted to form a triple wire strand 6, Fig. 2, to constitute the body of the collar supporter, and in the operation oftwisting said Wire-portions the loop-portions 2, Fig. 1, are curled to a circular shape and are thereby formed into similar eyes 7 at the extremities of the body 6. Each of the eyes 7 therefore forms an integral part of the wire portion 4 and of one of the wire portions 5 comprising the strand 6, which prevents accidental opening or spreading apart of said eyes. A ring 8, Fig. 6, of celluloid, or similar material having molding properties, is then molded over and around each the eyes 7 and around an adjacent portion of the strand 6 in the manner hereinafter set forth, which ring serves as a cushioning means to prevent annoyance of chafing or rubbing of the wearers neck. As the collar supporter is thus constructed, the strand-body 6 thereof possesses proper flexibility and lateral resiliency, so that when worn it will normally bear against the neck of the wearer and at the same time permit free and easy move ment of the neck; while the formation of the eyes 6 in conjunction with the cushioning rings 8 is such that, in addition to the comfort derived from the rings, said eyes and rings constitute a mechanically rigid structure with the strand 6, whereby any accidental untwisting of the extremities of the wire portions comprising said strand is precluded.

In the manufacture of the cushioningrings 8 of the collar-supporter, a metal mold is provided, Figs. 3, 4, 5, comprising a lower portion 9 and a similar upper portion 10. Each mold-portion 9, 10 has a central circular opening 11 equal in diameter to that of the opening 12 in the eye 7 and also to the inside diameter of the molded ring 8, and in the face 13 of each mold-portion is formed an annular groove 14 concentric with the opening 11, which groove is semicircular in cross section and the outer and inner diameters of which are equal to those of the ring 8, whereby said grooves are complementary and together constitute a mold for the cushioning ring. Upon a working table 15 is provided acore 16 which is rigidly fixed thereon in upright position. A lower portion of said core, equal in length to the height of the lower mold-portion 9, is cylindrical and equal in diameter to the opening 11 of said mold-portion, and the remainder of said core is conical and converges up.- wardly.

In the molding operation the mold-portions 9, 10 are first thoroughly heated and the lower portion 9 is slid over the core 16 in the manner shown. The eye 7 of the supporter is slipped over the upper tapered portion of the core 16 and is so lodged against the inner side of the groove 14, Figs. 3, 4:, that it is disposed horizontally and its centerlies in the plane of the surface 13 of the mold-portion 9. A celluloid bead 17, which is specially prepared for this operation and is equal in volume to but smaller in outer diameter than the finished cushionring 8, is then slipped over the core 16 and placed upon the eye 7. The upper moldportion 10 is thereafter slid over the core 16 and pressed downwardly against the bead 17 until the faces 13 of both mold portions 9, 10 meet, Fig. 5. In pressing the mold portions 9, 10 against each other their heat causes the celluloid, of which the bead 17 is composed, to become plastic; and therefore as the faces 13 move relatively toward each other the plastic celluloid surroundsthe eye 7 and completely fills the complementary grooves 14 as they close together, whereby the celluloid is molded in the configuration of the cushioning-ring 8. Upon cooling of the mold its upper portion 10 is lifted ofl the core 16 and the extremity of the collar supporter having the cushion-ring 8 completely molded thereover may be then slipped off said core; and thereupon said ex- A tremity presents the formation of a molded celluloid cushion-ring within which the eye 7 with a portion of the strand adjacent thereto is molded and the inner diameter of which is equal to the inner diameter of the eye, Fig. 7, the periphery of the inner side ofthe eye being tangent to the periphery of the inner side of the ring. The same operation may be'performed upon the other eye. 7 at the opposite extremity of the collarsupporter and a similar cushion-ring 8 molded thereover, whereupon the collar supporter is entirely completed and rendered at once ready for use in the wearers collar.

It will be seen that the formation of each of the eyes 7 integrallywith the wire-portion at and one of the wire-portions 5 comprising the strand 6 is of particular advantage in the aforesaid molding operation, forthe reason that each eye is thereby maintained at its proper position upon the core 16 while it is being pressed against downwardly by the celluloid bead 17 during its conversion -into=the plastic state by means of the downcoming hot mold-portion 10, the formation of the eyes preventing 'any 'accidental opening or spreading apart thereof by said downward pressure.

With the use-of a considerable number of similar molds an operator may rapidly and simultaneously wmold the cushion rings 8 over the extremities ofa large quantity of collar supporters. If desired azhigh polish may be given to the celluloid cushioning rings to make them particularly :smooth and comfortable to the :wearer.

It will'be evident that in addition'to the aforementioned advantages possessed by the cushioning rings of this collar supporter, such as strength, durability, economical manufacturemnd affording convenience and comfort to the wearer, said rings willalso present aneatappearance-and may be made of celluloid of various tints to match 'the different colors or designs of the material of which the collar is made.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 2- 1. A collar supporter comprising a flexible body consisting of a wire bent between its extremities in the "form of an eye and extending from saideye in the form of a twisted strand, and a cushion-ring molded around said eye whereby said-eye lieswholly within said'ring and has the inner side of 1ts periphery tangent to the inner side of the-periphery of said ring.

acushion-ring molded around each of said eyes whereby-each eye lies wholly within'its ringand has the inner side of its periphery tangent to the'inner side of the periphery of said ring.

'3. A collar supporterjhaving the combination of a flexible wirebodybent to' form an eye at its extremity, and a cushion ring molded around said-eye havingthe inner s de -'of 1ts periphery tangent to *the inner SldB Of the periphery of said-eye.

4:. A collar supporter having the combicounty of New York, and State of New nation of a flexible Wire body bent to form York, this 30th day of December, A. D. 13 an eye at each of its extremities, and a 1914. cushion ring molded around each of said F eyes having the inner side of its periphery HARRY KLEIN tangent to the inner side of the periphery of Witnesses: its eye. CHAS. W. LA RUE,

Signed at the city of New York, in the B. ROMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent; Washington, D. G. 

